Lucas McMillan's POV.
Day 19, afternoon
We started walking in the direction we came. But luck was short-lived because we were lost. And now there was a bloody and dirt-covered grown man wandering around an island with two little kids who won't stop complaining.
I was leading the way and Darcy and Michael were behind me sulking. "My legs are tired!!" Darcy whined.
"Well, you ran in here when I told you specifically not to—"
"I know the story, Lucas!!" Darcy yelled cutting me off.
It was silent for a little longer as we walked in the quiet. The only sounds were birds singing their songs and our feet crunching the leaves under our feet.
It was trees, trees, trees, and more trees. It was like a never-ending optical illusion.
"Michael stop!" Darcy yelled but I ignored her and continued my walking whilst looking straight ahead. "Lucas tell Michael to stop walking in my shadow."
"Darcy do you have a problem with me walking on your shadow?" Michael asked sounding like an annoying little shit.
"Yes, I do stupid! I want my shadow to have— Hey!!" I heard a shuffling sound behind me. And then another.
I quickly turned around I looked at Darcy and Michael who were pushing each other around.
Darcy grabbed Michael's arm and pulled on it. Then she punched him in the head.
Michael grabbed Darcy's arm and held it so she wouldn't hit him while he gently pushed her away.
They both got into a childish catfight and they were both yelling things I couldn't hear because they were fighting.
"Hey stop you two!" I warned. When they didn't stop I marched over there and pulled them apart.
"Try to get along, please! We need to find shelter before sunset." I reprimanded angrily.
"Fine," Darcy mumbled.
"Fine," Michael said rolling his eyes.
"Michael just don't step on my shadow anymore," Darcy said softly but with her seriousness showing.
"I won't."
A few moments of silence managed to go by before Darcy's shrill voice shrieking ruined the eerily peaceful quiet.
"Michael!!" Darcy screamed. I turned around and saw Michael jump on Darcy's shadow.
"Michael!" I warned as well.
I watched as Darcy ran up to Michael and full-on football tackled him to the ground. I wasn't some coach but this looked impressive. I'd put her on the team.
"Don't hurt my shadow you loon!!" She yelled. I ran over to her and pulled her off him for the second time.
"Enough!!" I yelled so loud they both stopped in their tracks.
"Darcy stop talking nonsense about 'hurting a shadow' and Michael stop being a jerk and doing something that annoys Darcy!"
They both looked down and nodded. "What is the matter with you two?? You got along fine on the raft. And I suggest you learn to get along because this is going to be one trip to hell for us as long as we are here. Am I understood?"
"Yes, we understand." They both said. "Now apologize," I said to both of them.
"I'm sorry Michael."
"I'm sorry Darcy."
"Ok, now Darcy why don't you want Michael to walk on your shadow?" I asked gently.
"I like watching it walk when I do. It's on my right so it also happens to be where Michael is walking." Darcy explained.
"So just tell Michael to walk on the left," I said and Darcy's face paled and fell. "Oh... right." She said before laughing. "What's so funny?" Michael asked. Darcy kept laughing and Michael and I just watched and shared a confused look. "It's funny because now your going on the left not the right! And I said oh right!" Darcy said tripping over her own words she was laughing so hard.
"Oh my god," I said in annoyance before turning around to walk again. I then stopped dead in my tracks and turned back around. "Wait a minute..." I said looking at Darcy's shadow.
"If your shadow is facing the north and the sun is setting in the west... then that's where we need to go," I said pointing in the direction of the sun. "That's west, where we came," I explained.
I started walking again with Darcy and Michael hot on my heels.
"My legs are tired," Darcy said. I got fed up with her complaining so I scooped her up and she held onto my neck. "Better?" I asked.
"Yes thank you, sir!" She said politely. "Stop calling me sir," I mumbled. Darcy nodded and spoke. "Yes, sir." I looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. "Sorry." She said quickly.
I heard Michael laugh at her antics before we continued our walk west.
•••
Night
"We're back!" Michael yelled as he ran forward to where our original place was, that was once marked by our fireplace.
"Finally," Darcy said jumping off my back.
"I'm sitting," Darcy said sitting down and laying against a tree.
"Ok let me know when you're hungry," I said.
"I'm hungry... All the time Lucas." She said angrily. "That wasn't nice Lucas we are always hungry," Darcy said crossing her arms.
"Sorry. I'll find you some food." I said walking off.
It was getting darker and I luckily found a mulberry bush and grabbed a handful and memorized where it was. I walked back to Darcy who was already asleep.
"Michael," I called out looking around for him.
I heard a scream in the distance making me jump. I looked in that direction and I saw a figure in the distance. I immediately assumed it was Michael. "Michael!" I yelled. My booming voice woke Darcy up startled. "Lucas?" She said in a quivering voice.
I grabbed Darcy from under her arms and held her on my hip, instantly running to the figure. It was now darker out than it was the last few minutes ago. I couldn't see where I was going so well at this point. Darcy held onto my neck for dear life. "What's happening!?" She yelled as she could sense the fear around me.
I set Darcy down when we got closer to Michael. I could see him clearly now and he was sitting down grasping his leg. "Lucas it hurts!!" Michael sounded in pain as I approached him.
"What happened?" I said as calmly as I possibly could. "I don't know I was running a-and my leg got-ow! Uh-stuck and went through my skin-ow!" He said barely making sense.
I looked down at his ankle and there was a crab trap secured harshly on the small bone. I went to his level and touched it lightly.
Michael winced and tears fell down his cheeks. Darcy ran to him and put her hand on his cheek. "Michael if you cry so help me I will hit you." She scolded. "Darcy down," I said still very panicky. I didn't want them to see me panic. Darcy wiped his cheeks angrily.
"Lucas get it off please," Michael begged. "It's going to hurt okay." I grabbed it before I quickly ripped it off. Michael screamed in agony and Darcy covered her ears. Something she seemed to when she didn't like something.
I threw the trap aside and wrapped my hand tightly around his injury to stop the bleeding the best I could. "Jesus Michael how did this even happen," I asked examining how deep the cuts were. "I was walking around and there was a bug that wouldn't leave me alone and it was getting dark so I started to run back to our spot and stepped in this thing."
"Huh, interesting... Well, I'm going to head back and get more sleep!" Darcy said standing up and dismissing the situation. "Darcy if you leave you will regret it this time," I warned.
Darcy gulped and plopped back down in her spot on the sand. "Roger that."
I looked at her and frowned. "You've been acting really mature lately," I said quietly knowing exactly why she was. I had a horrible feeling that as soon as we came back to reality, we'd be screwed up forever.
"Well, I—" Darcy said but snapped her head looking at something behind me. Darcy let out a loud sob before jumping to her feet.
I watched as Michael started limping to where Darcy was looking. I brought my eyes up to see a complete and utter miracle.
Meghan.
I was on my feet in seconds. I watched as Meghan was running to us with Edmond right behind her.
Edmond.
I knew they were still alive! I had hope and this hope got them to me. My feet finally moved from my place on the ground. Darcy and Michael were running ahead of me just as I started moving.
"Meghan.." I breathed shocked.
"Meghan!!" I yelled running faster than I have ever before. This was real and she was really here.
"Lucas!" I heard her beautiful voice yell. I felt my heart clench as I heard the softness of her amazing voice.
She got closer and closer and soon enough she opened her arms wide until I could reach her. Her blue eyes glittered in the moonlight. This beautiful angel was right in front of me and I thought I lost her forever.
I slammed my body into hers hard enough to knock the wind out of both of us. "Lucas!!" She cried out wrapping her skinny arms around my neck as I held her to me tightly. Almost bone-crushing but still gentle. I'd never hurt her.
The whole world stopped in this precious moment. We were the only ones here right now.
"Meghan..." I said stroking her beautiful long hair as if to see she really was real. I felt the warmth of her body on mine as we stood pressed against one another.
I pulled away slightly to look into her eyes.
"Are you really real?" I said quietly, almost as if asking my self.
"Yes. I'm here... I'm here you are okay.." She said with tears brimming her eyes.
"Don't cry, Meghan. Please." I begged almost feeling my eyes fill with tears as well at the sight of her really in my arms. Meghan's blue eyes looked into my own and seemed as if they had a sharper shine to them by looking at me and I could only imagine what mine looked like. I just stared at her in awe.
How could this woman be so beautiful even in the ugliest of times? It truly amazes me. I think I will look up to her forever.
The way she is looking at me right now makes me love her. I love you Meghan, and I wish I could tell you that. But I don't know what she would think of me if I did. I don't think she's ready to hear it.
•••